The chances of Triumph Lyubertsy to play VTB United League 2012-2013, close to 100 percent

VTB United League keeps on innovating, developing and increasing the number of teams in its fourth regular season. Founded in 2008 and sponsored by VTB Bank it will feature a total of 20 teams next season. There will be a lot of expectations in 2012-13 VTB League as, for the first time, it will directly affect the distribution of the European Cup licenses.


2012/13 season will be particularly important from an organizational point of view as Russian PBL and VTB League will merge into this new tournament. Leaded by Sergei Ivanov and Andrey Shirokov,  VTB President and CEO,  they have got the support of the Euroleague. Thanks to their efforts in the future of the tournament,  the competition will move forward  to conquer new markets.


Triumph Lyubertsy , most likely, will be the nineteenth contender in next VTB League season. 
Now the question is which club will get the twentieth spot?


18 out of 20 participants of VTB United League, are already known: 


Russia: CSKA Moscow, Khimki, UNICS Kazan, Lokomotiv Kuban, Spartak Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnye Krylia, Enisey Krasnoyarsk.


Lithuania: Zalgiris Kaunas, Lietuvos Rytas.
Ukraine:  Azovmash Mariupol, Budivelnyk.
Latvia: VEF Riga.
Belarus: Minsk 2006.
Kazakhstan: BC Astana.
Poland:  Asecco Prokom.
Czech Republic: Basketball Nymburk.
Estonia: Kalev Kramo.


More than ten teams have requested for the two vacancies for next season. Which ones and how - directly or through qualifications - get into the tournament will be determined no later than mid-July. Meanwhile, league continues to receive and consider bids from all corners.


These are the main contenders for the two remaining spots:


Russia: Triumph Lyubertsy 
Ukraine: Donetsk, Dnipro and BC Kiev
Poland: Prokom Trefl Sopot and Zielona Gora
Lithuania: Siauliai and Neptunas
Sweden: Norrköping Dolphins.


It is almost impossible to predict which team will accompany Triumph as new members for next season. Apparently, as in previous seasons, the lucky club will be determined by qualifications and terms of a system which (along with a calendar of the main stage) will be approved by the Board of VTB League in July. That will be held  even after Turkish Airlines Euroleague Draw. 


In my opinion, BC Donetsk has many options to clinch twentieth voucher as it´s the most powerful team among the last contenders. However, LKL clubs (Siauliai and Neptunas) are working hard to get another spot in the competition.  For the following seasons, it would be quite interesting to see representatives of new countries as BC Armia of Tbilisi. The Georgian club is seriously improving  and growing as they shew this past season at FIBA Eurochallenge.


There are high expectactions in the future of this VTB United League Competition and these are the best news for Basketball fans in Europe.

EUROLEAGUE & EUROCUP TEAMS FOR NEXT SEASON

The Euroleague Commercial Assets Board met yesterday in Barcelona. The main order of business was to approve the teams that will play next season in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, which will feature a new Top 16 round expanded to 14 games, and in the Eurocup, where the qualifying round was eliminated and a single-game final reestablished. The board also analyzed a summary of last season's sporting and fiscal success before making plans to enhance fan enjoyment and security in the future.

TURKISH AIRLINES EUROLEAGUE 2012-2013

The board approved the awarding of a new two-year A License to Italy’s most successful basketball club ever, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, to replace one that became a wild card following the sports results over the past three seasons of another Italian team, Lottomatica Roma. 

Among the B-License teams are newcomers Besiktas JK Milangaz of Turkey, Elan Chalon-sur-Saone of France and Cedevita Zagreb of Croatia. 

A wild-card C License for Alba Berlin of Germany was approved by the board, taking into consideration the importance of the German market for Euroleague Basketball and its interest in developing the basketball business in that country. 

Wild cards were also given to Bennet Cantu of Italy and Unics Kazan of Russia for the Eight-Team Turkish Airlines Euroleague Qualifying Rounds. 

The complete list of 24 teams that will participate in the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season is as follows: 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul	Turkey	Finalist
Asseco Prokom Gdynia	Poland	Champion
BC Khimki Moscow Region	Russia	Finalist
Besiktas JK Milangaz Istanbul	Turkey	Champion
Brose Baskets Bamberg	Germany	Champion
Caja Laboral Vitoria	Spain	Semifinalist
Cedevita Zagreb	Adriatic 1st Croatian	in Adriatic League
CSKA Moscow	Russia	Champion
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan	Italy	Finalist
Elan Chalon-sur-Saone	France	Champion
FC Barcelona Regal	Spain	Champion
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul	Turkey	Finalist
Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius	Lithuania	Finalist
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv	Israel	Champion
Montepaschi Siena	Italy	Champion
Olympiacos Piraeus	Greece	Champion
Panathinaikos Athens	Greece	Finalist
Partizan mt:s Belgrade	Adriatic 1st Serbian	in Adriatic League
Real Madrid	Spain	Finalist
Unicaja Malaga	Spain	9th in Regular Season
Union Olimpija Ljubljana	Adriatic 1st Slovenian	in Adriatic League
Zalgiris Kaunas	Lithuania	Champion
Alba Berlin (Wild Card)	Germany	Quarterfinalist
Winning team of Qualifying Round - -

Those teams participating in the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Qualifying Rounds are as follows: 

BC Donetsk Ukraine Champion Bennet Cantu (Wild Card) Italy Quarterfinalist CEZ Basketball Nymburk Czech Republic Champion Le Mans Sarthe Basket France Finalist PBC Lukoil Academic Bulgaria Champion Ratiopharm Ulm Germany Finalist Telenet BC Oostende Belgium Champion Unics Kazan (Wild Card) Russia 6th in Regular Season

The Qualifying Rounds winner advances to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season while the other seven teams will play in the Eurocup Regular Season. 

EUROCUP 2012-2013

The competition changes in the 2012-13 Eurocup, returning to two-game home-and-away semifinals and a single-game final, were also approved by the board. Changes also included the elimination of the Qualifying Round phase of the competition, although the number of participating teams (32) remains the same. 


Those teams participating in the Eurocup Regular Season are as follows: 

Artland Dragons	Germany	Semifinalist
Azovmash Mariupol (Wild Card)	Ukraine	Finalist
Banco Di Sardegna Sassari	Italy	Semifinalist
Banvit BK Bandirma***	Turkey	Semifinalist
Belgacom Spirou Charleroi	Belgium	Finalist
Cholet Basket	France	Semifinalist
Crvena Zvezda Diva Belgrade**	Adriatic 10th	in Regular Season
EiffelTowers Den Bosch	Netherlands	Champion
Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul	Turkey	Semifinalist
Gescrap Bilbao Basket	Spain	Quarterfinalist
Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem**	Israel	Semifinalist
KK Buducnost VOLI Podgorica	Adriatic 4th	After FinalFour
KK Cibona Zagreb**	Adriatic 7th	in Regular Season
Lagun Aro San Sebastian	Spain	Quarterfinalist
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar	Russia	3rd Place
Orleans	France	Semifinalist
Panionios On Telecoms Athens	Greece	3rd Place
Rudupis Prienai***	Lithuania	3rd Place
s.Oliver Baskets Wuerzburg	Germany	Semifinalist
Spartak St. Petersburg	Russia	6th after Playoffs
Trefl Sopot	Poland	Finalist
Triumph Lyubertsy	Russia	4th Place
Valencia Basket	Spain	Semifinalist
VAP Kolossos Rhodes	Greece	4th Place
VEF Riga	Latvia	Champion
+7 Teams from Euroleague	Qualifying	Rounds

** Wildcards coming after the renouncement of teams: Maccabi Ashdod, Scavolini Siviglia Pesaro and HKK Siroki WWin.

*** Wildcards coming due to the 2011-12 EuroChallenge champion and runner-up - Besiktas JK Milangaz Istanbul of Turkey, Elan Chalon-sur-Saone of France - qualifying for the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season. 

Finally, the board looked ahead to the next Final Four at O2 in London, the 2012 Olympic Games basketball venue. Board members reasoned that London is a strategically important market for Euroleague Basketball, due to its commercial possibilities as well as the benefits of having the partnership with AEG grow. Euroleague Basketball directors have already held organizational meetings and are actively working on making the next edition of the Final Four better than previous editions. 

(via Euroleague.net)